As reported by AP, a comedy show in Sydney, Australia descended into chaos this week when a heckler repeatedly interrupted Jerry Seinfeld's set by shouting "Free Palestine" slogans, until the comedian had security remove him from the venue.
Video footage from Seinfeld's performance at the Qudos Bank Arena shows the "Seinfeld" creator sarcastically saying, "We have a genius, ladies and gentlemen. He solved the Middle East!"
"You're really influencing everyone here," Seinfeld mocked further. "We're all on your side now, because you've made your point so well, and in the right venue, you've come to the right place for a political conversation."
As security began escorting the heckler out, he continued shouting the "Free Palestine" refrain, to which Seinfeld quipped: "Go ahead, keep going! They're going to start punching you in about three seconds so I would try to get all of your genius out so we can all learn from you."
The 68-year-old comedian then roasted the protester one final time, calling him "a moron" for disrupting a comedy show with political outbursts. "It's a comedy show, you moron! Get out of here," Seinfeld told the man as he was being ejected from the arena.
The heckling was quickly condemned by Jewish advocacy groups like the Australian Jewish Association, which shared the video highlighting the "vile anti-Semitism on display." They praised Seinfeld's "comedic satire" in handling the "racist protesters."
The disruption was not Seinfeld's first encounter with anti-Israel protesters. An outspoken supporter of Israel, Seinfeld has faced similar demonstrations during a trip to the country last December when he met with families impacted by Hamas' October 7th attacks.
Dozens of students staged a walkout during Seinfeld's commencement speech at Duke University in May, chanting "Free Palestine" in protest. Seinfeld did not directly address the demonstration, though he warned graduates not to "lose your sense of humor" amid the culture of political correctness.
For Seinfeld, whose humor steers clear of political commentary, it marked a rare crossover into the discourse around the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The comedian has not made any additional comments on the matter since the incident.
